Neighbors stunned by car business owner’s death

Published: Monday, January 28, 2013 at 11:28 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, January 28, 2013 at 6:05 p.m.

MIDWAY | Days after Nancy Harvey of Midway was found dead at her used car sales lot in Lexington, neighbors of the woman remained stunned concerning her death.

The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday the 52-year-old Harvey, the owner of Atlanta Car Co. at 1834 Old U.S. Highway 52, was the homicide victim. Sheriff David Grice said in a news release that Harvey’s body was discovered just before 9 a.m. Friday by other employees.

It remains unclear how she died or whether the DCSO has a suspect. Grice, however, requested in the news release that anyone who may have seen suspicious activity at Atlanta Car Co. between 6 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. Friday call the sheriff’s office at 242-2105 and ask for Lt. Kevin Johnson, Capt. Mitch Kepley, Lt. Dewayne Miller or Grice. Lexington Area Crimestoppers may also be called at 243-2400.

Shocked by the woman’s death, Jasper Nifong, like many of Harvey’s Hickory Tree Road neighbors, are trying to figure out why someone killed Harvey.

Nifong said he watched Harvey’s residence all the time since her husband Larry Ronald Harvey died in April 2010 of a massive heart attack. He said the 68-year-old Harvey was exiting Hickory Tree Road onto the ramp to take U.S. Highway 52 South, when he had the medical problem and crashed a vehicle. An obituary in The Dispatch stated that Harvey died unexpectedly on April 28, 2010, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

Nifong said he mowed Harvey’s yard and would talk to her when he saw her outside. He would also see her leave around 7 a.m. each work day and arrive home late at night from work. Thursday night was a day in which Nifong did not see Harvey come home.

“It just knocked my feet from under me,” he said of learning of Nancy Harvey’s death.

Nifong said it killed him when Larry Harvey died as he was one of his best friends. He said the Harveys both had previously lived in Texas and Larry Harvey insisted on giving Nifong’s grandson a truck for his first vehicle.

“She was just as nice,” Nifong said of Nancy Harvey.

Nifong said he thought Harvey was doing good running the business after losing her husband.

“She was probably stricter than her husband,” he said. “He was the type of fella that he would give you his shirt off his back.”

Jasper Nifong’s wife, Patricia, agreed with her husband.

“I just hope they catch whoever did it,” she said. “That was a dirty trick as good as that woman was.”

David Putnam, another neighbor, said he really didn’t know Nancy Harvey but he wanted to know what happened. On the occasions he did come in contact with her she seemed to be really nice, he said.

“She worked, it seemed like from daylight to dark, and weekends and everything,” Putnam said. “She had people out of town. She traveled a whole lot, and was gone sometimes for a couple weeks at a time.”

He did not recall seeing anything unusual at the residence.

“It was a shock that it happened, but I didn’t know her,” said Otis Southern, who lives a couple houses down from Harvey. “I never met her, and I met Nifong there and Putnam. But the other neighbors, I just throw my hand up when I see them.”

Neighbors of Harvey, Southern said, would like to know what happened to the woman.

David Chisholm, a co-owner of Northside Produce, located adjacent to Harvey’s business, said a car ran into his business a couple years ago.

“Her and her employees helped us clean up,” Chisholm said. “They were as nice as a bunch of people as they could be. She didn’t deserve whatever happened to her.”

Family members declined an interview with The Dispatch.

The sheriff said in the news release that the sheriff’s office and the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation are investigating Harvey’s death. Grice said Monday morning that he wasn’t commenting further regarding the case.

A search warrant executed at Atlanta Car Co. has been sealed by Chief District Court Judge Wayne L. Michael.

Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.

<p>MIDWAY | Days after Nancy Harvey of Midway was found dead at her used car sales lot in Lexington, neighbors of the woman remained stunned concerning her death.</p><p>The Davidson County Sheriff's Office confirmed Monday the 52-year-old Harvey, the owner of Atlanta Car Co. at 1834 Old U.S. Highway 52, was the homicide victim. Sheriff David Grice said in a news release that Harvey's body was discovered just before 9 a.m. Friday by other employees.</p><p>It remains unclear how she died or whether the DCSO has a suspect. Grice, however, requested in the news release that anyone who may have seen suspicious activity at Atlanta Car Co. between 6 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. Friday call the sheriff's office at 242-2105 and ask for Lt. Kevin Johnson, Capt. Mitch Kepley, Lt. Dewayne Miller or Grice. Lexington Area Crimestoppers may also be called at 243-2400.</p><p>Shocked by the woman's death, Jasper Nifong, like many of Harvey's Hickory Tree Road neighbors, are trying to figure out why someone killed Harvey.</p><p>Nifong said he watched Harvey's residence all the time since her husband Larry Ronald Harvey died in April 2010 of a massive heart attack. He said the 68-year-old Harvey was exiting Hickory Tree Road onto the ramp to take U.S. Highway 52 South, when he had the medical problem and crashed a vehicle. An obituary in The Dispatch stated that Harvey died unexpectedly on April 28, 2010, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.</p><p>Nifong said he mowed Harvey's yard and would talk to her when he saw her outside. He would also see her leave around 7 a.m. each work day and arrive home late at night from work. Thursday night was a day in which Nifong did not see Harvey come home.</p><p>“It just knocked my feet from under me,” he said of learning of Nancy Harvey's death. </p><p>Nifong said it killed him when Larry Harvey died as he was one of his best friends. He said the Harveys both had previously lived in Texas and Larry Harvey insisted on giving Nifong's grandson a truck for his first vehicle.</p><p>“She was just as nice,” Nifong said of Nancy Harvey.</p><p>Nifong said he thought Harvey was doing good running the business after losing her husband.</p><p>“She was probably stricter than her husband,” he said. “He was the type of fella that he would give you his shirt off his back.”</p><p>Jasper Nifong's wife, Patricia, agreed with her husband.</p><p>“I just hope they catch whoever did it,” she said. “That was a dirty trick as good as that woman was.”</p><p>David Putnam, another neighbor, said he really didn't know Nancy Harvey but he wanted to know what happened. On the occasions he did come in contact with her she seemed to be really nice, he said.</p><p>“She worked, it seemed like from daylight to dark, and weekends and everything,” Putnam said. “She had people out of town. She traveled a whole lot, and was gone sometimes for a couple weeks at a time.”</p><p>He did not recall seeing anything unusual at the residence.</p><p>“It was a shock that it happened, but I didn't know her,” said Otis Southern, who lives a couple houses down from Harvey. “I never met her, and I met Nifong there and Putnam. But the other neighbors, I just throw my hand up when I see them.”</p><p>Neighbors of Harvey, Southern said, would like to know what happened to the woman.</p><p>David Chisholm, a co-owner of Northside Produce, located adjacent to Harvey's business, said a car ran into his business a couple years ago. </p><p>“Her and her employees helped us clean up,” Chisholm said. “They were as nice as a bunch of people as they could be. She didn't deserve whatever happened to her.”</p><p>Family members declined an interview with The Dispatch.</p><p>The sheriff said in the news release that the sheriff's office and the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation are investigating Harvey's death. Grice said Monday morning that he wasn't commenting further regarding the case.</p><p>A search warrant executed at Atlanta Car Co. has been sealed by Chief District Court Judge Wayne L. Michael.</p><p>Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.</p>